UPCOMING EVENTS

Microsoft today made a slew of announcements as part of a new commitment to Surface for business.

The company says firms have been asking it about a longer-term commitment to Surface for businesses of all sizes. The Surface Pro 3 was announced in May and released in June. Now it’s October, and Microsoft is finally ready to double down.

First off, IT professionals are getting improvements so their departments can support the Surface Pro 3. Microsoft has launched a new support offering called Microsoft Complete for Business that includes a three-year extended warranty, accidental damage protection, faster exchange service, and Surface setup support. The company is also promising the Surface Pro 3 will be upgradeable to Windows 10 when the OS is released.

Next, Microsoft has announced the Surface Pro 3 now qualifies for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program for computers. The company says many of its commercial customers participate in environmental pledge programs, and this certification should help them meet their goals.

Microsoft is also making a promise that Surface Pro 3 accessories (Type Covers, Docking Station, as well as the power adapter, Ethernet adapter, and so on) will be compatible with the next Surface Pro generation (the company isn’t calling it the Pro 4 yet). The hope is that business customers will be more likely to invest in Surface infrastructure if they know the accessories will work on the successor.

Finally, Microsoft is offering a while-supplies-last “laptop replacement” bundle: up to $150 off when you purchase a Surface Pro 3, Type Cover and Docking Station together. The deal is available now through the company’s Authorized Resellers in the U.S. and will come to the majority of markets where Surface is available “in the coming weeks.”

The goal here is to make it “faster and more cost effective for businesses to deploy Surface Pro 3.” In other words, it’s the company’s latest attempt to sell more units.

While those are the main announcements, the Surface team also made a point to highlight that the company’s most senior leaders are backing the product. This isn’t just another Zune, or at least, that’s what Microsoft wants you to think.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made the following statement:

We believe a strength of the Microsoft platform for enterprise is the rich ecosystem of hardware and applications developed by our partners, the community at large, and some of our own teams at Microsoft. In particular with Microsoft Surface Pro 3, we are now offering an enterprise-class device that can deliver great end-user productivity. Microsoft is putting its full and sustained support behind the ongoing Surface program as one of a number of great hardware choices for businesses large and small.

So, yes, the Surface is here to stay. Now the company just needs to make it a profitable product.